Cold Facts on the Cold Case of Alina Fitzpatrick

 These are the cold facts of a cold case. A shade over 14 years ago, on November 4th, 2011, Alina Fitzpatrick went missing. She was a student in the Putnam City School District which is located on the west side of Oklahoma City. Her body was found in an empty lot in far eastern Oklahoma City on November 9th. She was discovered nude with a gag stuffed in her mouth. She also had suffered recent bruises, cuts, and contusions--signs of a beating. Later, an autopsy showed her body had a level of meth in it which, could be considered toxic. In other words, her death might or might not have been caused by an overdose. To this day, her official cause of death remains, "undetermined." Alina Fitzpatrick was 17 years old when she was killed.

That's right, no matter how the medical examiner, or more importantly the OKC Police chose to name it, or investigate it, Alina Fitzpatrick was killed--as in murdered. 

There were signs things were going sideways in Alina Fitzpatrick's life before she disappeared. She had recently dropped out of Putnam City North High School and enrolled in the Putnam City Virtual Learning School. She had said she was being bullied. It was an accusation the school district denied or at least claimed they had no record of. She had also complained she had begun to receive, "strange," calls on her cell phone. Friends said she was talking about changing her number. It is unclear if she ever did. 

On the night she went missing she was dropped off near the intersection of NW 23rd and Western Ave. Reports are she was headed to a nearby apartment complex. No one knows, or at least publicly says they know, if she ever got there or not. Later that evening her phone was turned off. The next day she was reported missing. 

At the time the city was consumed by the gruesome murder of Carina Saunders. Most of her dismembered body had been found in a duffle bag in an empty lot six miles due west of where Alina was last seen. Thanks to the Bethany Police, who were investigating that case, local news outlets were rife with wild, lurid rumors and the names of potential suspects and witnesses. The discovery of Alina Fitzpatrick's nude and abused body on November 9th--which would have normally shocked the town--barely made a ripple in comparison. 

Weeks later, after the state ME finally released the lab results from Alina's autopsy, the investigation pretty much ground to a halt. On January 20th, 2012, OKCPD spokesperson, Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow told the media, "Officers are keeping a file on the case, but are not currently investigating her death as a homicide."

Or, to put it another way. We're busy with other stuff, but if you hear anything, call us. 

Days later, Bryan Dean, who was a reporter for, "The Oklahoman," questioned Wardlow's seemingly dismissive attitude toward the case. OKC Police Captain, Dexter Nelson responded with what then and now looks like a dance number from the musical, "Chicago." He told Dean, "Homicide is just a legal term. It gives us legal grounds to prosecute someone. We are still investigating it as a suspicious death. You investigate them the same way." Then Nelson went on to say, "The contusions and cuts and bruises were not enough to cause death." Finally, perhaps as a concession to Dean--his wife was friends with Alina's mother--Nelson admitted, "It is obviously unlikely she overdosed naked on the side of the road." (Nelson failed to mention it was also, "unlikely," she voluntarily gagged herself before doing so.)

That January 29th, 2012, understatement is, as far as I know, the last time the OKCPD officially commented on the murder of Alina Fitzpatrick. 

In an email, Dean said, "The police consider it an overdose and they have little confidence it will ever be solved." 

Years later an anonymous comment on this blog claimed the authorities knew who did it, and the person was in jail on other charges. It's unknown if the poster was telling the truth or just blowing smoke. 

If Alina Fitzpatrick had survived she would be 31 now. Of course, if she really was slipping down the rabbit hole of hard drugs she might not have made it this far on her own. And maybe neither has her killer, or killers. Let's face it, longevity isn't a hallmark of meth fueled lifestyles, either using, or selling.

Whatever the case, no one deserves the end Alina suffered from both her killer and the police who were supposed to provide her and her family justice.

Tragically though, as some say in a different context, "Out here it might be cruel, but it damn sure ain't unusual."

sic vita est

11-10-25